English Reader

You don't need to travel hundreds of miles or spend thousands of dollars to find a great life coach. In fact, you can find some of the best life coaches in the world much closer to home than you may think…

Who are these expert life coaches?

The expert life coaches I'm talking about are - Children!

Children come into the world with a positive 'can-do' mindset that we as adults can learn a lot from. In this edition of Dare To Dream, I'd like to share with you seven important life lessons I've learnt from children.

(1) Live In The Moment

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can make the transition from being upset to being happy. Underlying these instantaneous mood swings is the ability to truly live in the moment.

Children don't spend hours reflecting on the past or worrying about the future. They live life as it happens. As adults we often carry emotional baggage from our previous experiences as well as fears for our future. It's little wonder that we struggle to enjoy each moment simply for what it is.

Life Lesson #1

Stop analyzing the past and worrying about the future and choose to live in the moment.

(2) Give Yourself Time To Learn

To put myself through University, I used to teach the clarinet and saxophone to students of all ages. One of the major differences between my young students and my adult students was that the children gave themselves time to learn.

When they made a mistake, they simply laughed and moved on. The adult students on the other hand, often got worried and frustrated by their mistakes and berated themselves for not being perfect.

Children understand that it takes time to become good at something and they know that making mistakes is part of the learning process.

Life Lesson #2

When you are learning a new skill or activity, give yourself time to learn. Try not to get worried or frustrated when you make mistakes, instead, try and see the humor in the situation and enjoy the journey.

(3) Believe Anything Is Possible

This is an area in which children easily out do most adults. Children truly believe that anything is possible and they seem to naturally understand that belief is the secret ingredient for achieving success in every area of your life.

Life Lesson #3

Believe in your dreams with a ‘Child Like’ faith

(4) Laugh Out Loud

One of the things children enjoy more than anything else is to laugh and giggle. Some of my happiest memories are of laughing to the point of tears with my nephews over some silly incident or comment.

For some reason, as we grow older we seem to repress our sense of fun in preference for something called 'maturity'. Personally, I would much rather laugh out loud!

Life Lesson #4

Seize every opportunity you get to laugh out loud.

(5) Don't Be Afraid To Love

Children are much more likely to say, "I love you" than most adults. They do not think about or analyze the long term consequences of making this statement. When they feel a sense of love for someone, they simply let them know.

Life Lesson #5

When you love someone, let them know.

(6) Forgive Quickly And Completely

Children rarely carry a grudge for very long. They may get angry or upset but when they forgive someone, they do it quickly and completely. Adults on the other hand are quite capable of carrying a grudge for many years and even when they do forgive someone, it is often a case of, "I'll forgive but I'll never forget!"

Life Lesson #6

If you’re carrying a grudge – let it go and move on. A grudge gets heavier the longer you carry it.

(7) Never Lose Your Sense Of Wonder

Children don't take the world around them for granted. They possess a wonderful sense of curiosity and fun.

A few weeks ago I was in a park with my nephew David. I was chasing him around an oak tree and each time I changed direction and caught him, he burst into a fit of giggles.

Eventually we collapsed on the ground and looked up at the sunlight sparkling through the leaves.

As I lay on the ground, I reached over and picked up an acorn and said, "David, did you know that this big tree grew from a little seed like this?"

My nephew thought about this for a moment and then his eyes widened and he asked, "How?"

I looked at the acorn in my hand and then up at the huge tree above us and the amazement that my nephew had shown suddenly hit me too!

Life Lesson #7

Take the time to stop and look at the world around you through the eyes of a child.

It really is an amazing place!

Action Steps:

This week, take a break from the pressures of being an adult and use the seven life lessons above to reconnect with your inner child.